Medical Postbaccs starting in January?

[GoSpursGo]

A little bit about my situation; I graduated in December of 2020 and have been preparing to apply to medical school. I felt like I lacked in many areas, as my cGPA was only 3.12, my MCAT is probably going to be subpar (I get results on May 25th) and I am lacking clinical hours.

I recently got a scribe job at a Urology clinic, which I am grateful for, but it gets in the way of my plans to pursue a 1-year post bacc program so I can apply to medical school in 2022. If I did enroll in the Fall, I would have to quit my scribe job with only around 100 hours of experience, and no letter from the doctor I work under. Because of this, I have two questions:

1. Should I apply to post-bac programs for the Fall and quit my scribe job, or should I wait until spring?

2. If I wait until spring, will I have to wait until the summer to apply again? or are there programs in the southeast that start in January and end in the winter?

Have to be honest, it sounds like you have a number of deficiencies that need to be addressed. The single worst thing someone can do when they have a subpar application is compound it by trying to do too many things too quickly and dig a bigger hole. Med school isn't going anywhere. Take the time you need to rehab your app.

Since DO schools will be a big part of your application presumably, a number of them require a physician letter, so you probably want this letter from being a scribe. Focus on this job over the coming year and maybe start lightly studying for an MCAT retake. Nothing says you need a formal post-bacc--you can start a DIY post bacc at any time, including next spring, but you'll need at least a full calendar year's worth of improvement.

If you need more clinical hours, a better GPA, and an better MCAT, you are likely better off applying in 2023 and addressing all of your deficiencies rather than rushing to get ready a year from now.

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[GoSpursGo]

I definitely agree with your post. I noticed you recommended a full year's worth of improvement however, which I can say I have shown with an upward trend of straight As for most of my my junior year and all of my senior year during undergrad (my grades were not that great before my junior year due to over-commitment to ECs and other problems). Also, regarding ECs, I am pretty strong in that area.

My thought process was that since the cycle lasts for about ~1 year in total, starting a 1yr postbac in the spring would give me an extra semester before matriculating if I apply to medical school next summer. Say I retake the MCAT in the winter and score near a 520, would applying next year still be unwise?

You just said you’re lacking clinical hours, so no matter what the rest of your ECs are, you need to work on them. That takes time. Learn from your early college experience, don’t rush things.

I don’t find MCAT hypotheticals to be helpful because it is not something where you can just work really hard and crush it. If you really are fortunate enough to get a 520 then your plans can change, but that is statistically unlikely given that 520=99th percentile. Again, do not rush things.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Agree with the above advice. Take the time you need to get your application where it needs to be. With a 3.12 GPA, a DIY post-bac would be good as it would give you some flexibility to still boost your ECs. What does your non-clinical hours look like?